Doll with interchangeable characters

ABSTRACT

A convertible multi character doll having means to change from a first character to a plurality of alternate characters by the addition of interchangeable fitted coverings onto which alternative characters have been sewn, painted, silk-screened or otherwise attached. The doll in its original form has a humanoid appearance with stylized internal organs and skeletal features represented thereon, providing one character. This character lacks any of the identifiable external characteristics such as a human would have, including: skin, hair or clothing. The doll, in its original form therefore lacks any human personality characteristics. Alternative coverings, which may be added to the doll, portray different characters with characteristics of sex, race, religion, nationality and personality. These coverings are added by slipping on a fitted covering with a dorsal opening and fastening the closure. The doll is intended for use as an educational tool to demonstrate the interrelationship between the inner anatomy of a human (heart, lungs, skeletal features) and the outer anatomy (skin, hair and facial features). The doll demonstrates to children that while outer appearance may vary greatly, the dolls and by analogy, human beings, are substantially the same inside.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Toy manufacturers strive to create toys that are capable of engaging a child's attention. Manipulatable and transformable dolls serve the goal of capturing a child's attention and imagination by providing several play options within one toy. The children's toy market currently includes dolls that are alterable in various limited aspects. Toy manufacturers also seek to develop toys that meet parents' goals of serving some educational purpose such as teaching moral and ethical lessons. The educational toy market has experienced dramatic growth in recent years spurred by the proliferation of specialized educational toy retail outlets.

[0002] Transformable dolls have been the subject of past design efforts to create dolls that engage children by their convertible features. Dolls capable of facial alteration exist which allow a child to alter the facial expression of a doll by changing attachable facial elements, or by inserting selected photographs into a receiving film on the face of the doll, or by the addition of facial slipcovers onto which alternate expressions are depicted. Some such dolls have been used in psychotherapeutic and educational methods, which seek to induce a child to express his own emotions at given times through manipulation of the doll.

[0003] Completely convertible dolls are also known in the toy industry. These dolls are typically limited to conversion between two character types. One such doll includes two interconnected reversible figures that are joined to one another and include separate internal cavities, each having a capacity to hold or contain the other figure. Another type of convertible doll has a first character that wears a loose fitting outer garment concealing a second head and face forming a second character.

[0004] Other known manipulatable dolls include paper dolls and nesting dolls. Paper dolls allow a child to alter the clothing of a doll, but do not completely alter the character of the doll. Furthermore, paper dolls are not functional in the same manner as plush dolls. Nesting dolls teach a covering for the doll which may change the character of the doll, but nesting dolls are rigid and do not lend themselves to a child's play.

[0005] The toy market lacks a doll design that allows a young child to simply and quickly transform the entire character of the doll into multiple alternative characters. A doll design is needed that allows children to quickly use their own hands to change a doll that is completely convertible into a plurality of alternative characters which the child may choose and change at will. A doll design is also needed that demonstrates the interrelationship between internal human features common to all people (heart, lungs, intestines) and external human features (skin, hair, cultural features) that vary from person to person and the role these features play in forming the individual characteristics of each person. The doll in the present invention is capable of transformation into multiple characters by the addition of interchangeable fitted coverings depicting a myriad of characters. The original doll character always remains present and unchanged inside each new character that is added. The doll is intended to be used as a teaching tool to demonstrate to young children that while the outer appearance of individuals, or dolls, may vary in such aspects as hair color, skin color, eye color etc., from person to person, the internal structure, and by analogy, the soul is common to all human beings. Teaching that we are all the same inside is intended to promote racial and cultural tolerance in children.

[0006] The doll disclosed in this application is a soft, huggable plush toy well suited to doll play that can transformed into one of several characters introduced in the associated book We're All the Same Inside.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention combines the attractiveness of a plush doll as a play toy with a means for teaching racial and cultural tolerance to young children. A transformable character stuffed doll is provided that is race and gender neutral. This multi-cultural doll may quickly and easily be transformed into a plurality of alternate characters by the addition of fitted coverings onto which alternate characters are printed, painted, sown or otherwise attached. The doll, constructed of a machine washable material, comprises a main alien-like body having arms, legs, and a head portion. The doll has stylized human organs printed, painted, silk-screened, sown or otherwise attached thereon but lacks typical character identifying assets such as a human skin color, hair, clothing or facial features. A series of complete body coverings is provided, wherein each cover is designed to fit snugly over and conceal the entire original doll. Each fitted covering has an alternate character sewn, printed, silk-screened or otherwise formed thereon. The coverings are used to transform the original doll into a plurality of alternative characters. Each fitted covering includes a front and back panel sewn or glued together. The fitted coverings, manufactured of a machine-washable cloth material cut in the same shape as the doll, slightly larger than the original doll, are slipped over the plush alien-like doll and secured by fastening means on a dorsal seam. The back panel includes an openable and closeable vertical or horizontal opening that allows the child to easily and quickly cover the alien-like doll with alternate coverings depicting multiple characters thus altering the character of the doll. The main body, arms, legs, and head portion are made from a stuffing material such as cotton, polyester, a blend or beans held within a washable fabric outer casing formed from cotton, nylon, polyester, wool, felt or a blend. A child may choose a covering having a desired character formed thereon. The child then inserts the original doll portion through the opening of the desired covering, and seals the fitted covering. The alternate characters possess distinct racial and cultural characteristics and personality traits. The alternate characters are replaceable as may be desired. A covering is removed by pulling the original doll through the dorsal opening. The doll can be easily converted into several interchangeable alternative characters by the simple addition of a fitted covering over the original doll. Because the internal doll character always remains the same, the doll can be used to demonstrate to children the concept that people are all the same inside regardless of their outward appearance.

[0008] Objects and Advantages

[0009] Nothing in the prior art teaches a doll which is capable of undergoing complete transformation into a plurality of alternate characters by the addition of interchangeable coverings. The advantage of this invention is the ability to easily convert a doll of one character to one of several interchangeable alternative characters by the simple addition of a fitted covering while maintaining the original doll, unchanged, inside. The alternate characters differ in race, nationality and personal style from the original doll. Such a doll would serve to aid in teaching young children that regardless of an individual's external appearance, people are all the same inside. It is also an object of this invention to provide a traditional soft plush doll that is easily convertible into a virtually unlimited array of multiple characters. Another object of this invention is to provide a doll that is easily convertible into multiple characters while maintaining the original doll inside of the new characters. A further object of this invention is to provide a transformable doll that is convertible by young children. Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing drawings and description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The disclosed doll has an alien-like appearance with stylized human organs and skeletal portions portrayed thereon. FIG. 3 shows the frontal and dorsal views of the basic doll. The “basic doll” as used herein means the alien-like doll depicted in FIG. 3 without the addition of a fitted covering. The basic doll is devoid of personality identifying external characteristics usually found in other doll designs such as gender, cultural or racial identity, life-like skin color, hair, clothing or facial features.

[0011] The doll is constructed of a washable soft exterior material such as felt, wool cotton, rayon, nylon, acrylic or a blend and stuffed with a conventional compressible stuffing such as down, cotton, beans or polyester fiberfill. The basic doll is constructed of front and back panel cutouts having a head, torso, arms and legs included therein. The front and back panels are stitched or glued together and stuffed so as to be able to stand erect. Ideally the fabric used for the basic doll is blue, though the doll may be constructed of any color.

[0012] The present invention is designed to allow children to very simply transform the character of the doll. The basic doll may be transformed into different characters by adding one of a plurality of included alternative fitted covering onto which characters with distinct cultural personality traits have been printed, painted, glued, sewn or otherwise attached as shown in FIGS. 6-9. The fitted coverings are constructed of a front and back panel in the same body shape as the basic doll, cut slightly larger than the original doll, having head, torso, arms and legs included therein and being stitched together in the same fashion as the basic doll. The fitted covering is constructed of a similar washable type fabric as that used for the basic doll. The color of the fitted covering will vary with the ethnicity and look of the character depicted thereon. Characteristics of the fitted coverings may be painted, embroidered, sewn, silk-screened, glued or attached by other means. Clothing and hair appropriate to each character is attached to the character coverings. The hair is constructed of yarn or other synthetic material and stitched or plugged to the covering. The present invention is also designed to provide a doll with a plurality of interchangeable characters. Fitted coverings portraying character identities contemplated for this invention include, but are not limited to: a dark skinned African boy, a Jewish boy wearing a yarmulke, an Irish girl with bright red hair, an Asian girl, an Indian girl wearing a sari and a funky girl with unconventional clothing. It is contemplated that coverings may also depict characters that are physically different due to a medical condition such as a severe burn. Coverings can be designed to include many other characters than those disclosed herein.

[0013] In the preferred embodiment of the invention the basic doll is constructed of nylon or felt. These materials are most suitable for sewing, silk-screening and fastening of iron-on images. The front and back panels of the basic doll are sewn or glued together by a single seam that traces the outer edge of the doll shape. The doll shell is then steam ironed as flat as possible. The doll shell is stuffed with a polyester fiberfill through a small remaining opening that is then sewn closed. The thread used should be 100% cotton or wool. Mixed fibers or polyester do not have the necessary strength to hold the fabric. The fitted coverings are cut from the same material as the basic doll in the same pattern as the basic doll. The covering is cut just slightly larger, 3%-5% larger, then the specifications used for the basic doll. The character image is then silk-screened onto the fitted covering using all-surface pearl paint. DEKA permanent fabric paint may be used. An iron-on transfer created with color laser may also be used. The character may also be embroidered on. The covering is sewn using a single seam that traces the outer edge of the covering shape. It is then ironed and steamed. Hair constructed of yarn is rooted into the top of the covering. Fitted coverings made of nylon or felt material cut 3%-5% larger than the doll itself will fit over the basic doll securely so that a fastening means will not be necessary to secure the covering, making the toy even easier for young children to manipulate.

[0014] In one embodiment of the design for the fitted covering, the covering fits tightly over the basic doll by way of a vertical seam opening on the dorsal side of the fitted covering as depicted in FIG. 1. The method for adding a character covering to the basic doll includes a child selecting a covering with the desired character depicted thereon, grasping the back of the selected covering and opening the fasteners 2 in FIG. 2. The child then grasps the basic doll and inserts the doll through the vertical opening 1 of the fitted covering as depicted in FIG. 1. Once the fitted covering has been properly aligned over the basic doll, the vertical dorsal seam is secured with a fastening means suitable for young children such as a hook and loop fastener, snaps, buttons, or a zipper as depicted in FIG. 2.

[0015] In an alternative design embodiment for the fitted covering, the basic doll is pushed through the covering by way of a cross-sectional horizontal seam on the dorsal side of the covering. In this design alternative, the seam is secured by fastening means such as buttons, snaps, a zipper or zip-lock type fastener that is disguised in the belt of the character printed, glued, silk-screened, sewn or otherwise attached thereon.

[0016] It is contemplated that the doll will be marketed with an accompanying book describing the alien doll's fictional origins. The doll is an alien from an imaginary planet where the inhabitants lack skin and external identifying characteristics and communicate only through their hearts. The alien character comes to earth and is perplexed by the adversity he suffers due to his unusual appearance. In order to fit in, the alien doll dons clothing, characteristics and skins of different nationality and race that completely cover his exposed internal organs. He discovers that he is more easily accepted by the different communities when he is transformed to appear similar to them. This multi-character transformable doll is intended to be used as a tool for teaching children tolerance of others. A key concept of the doll is to teach children that people are all the same inside, regardless nationality, race, and religion or chosen manner of dress. It is conceivable that the doll may be used to teach children that people who appear different on the outside due to medical conditions such as Down's Syndrome are the same as everyone else on the inside. The doll demonstrates the interrelationship between the person inside as depicted by the inner anatomy (heart, lungs, skeletal features) and the external character as depicted by outer anatomy features such as skin, hair. Thus the ability to add and remove diverse person as to this doll is intended to serve as a vehicle by which a child may be taught that people, no matter how different they may appear on the outside are all the same inside.

[0017] The multi-character doll illustrated herein is exemplary of the principles of the invention in which fitted coverings may be added to a basic doll to change the total character identity of the basic doll and to illustrate the relationship between the internal and external characteristics of an individual.

[0018] While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification, but is to be limited only by the scope of the claims, including the full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled. 

1. A doll transformable to a plurality of characters, comprising: a main body including torso, head, arms and legs; a series of interchangeable fitted coverings that may be applied to the main body of the transformable doll to completely cover said doll; with each fitted covering including a front and back portion fastened together on which a distinct character is depicted and a sealable opening in the back portion of said covering through which the entire transformable doll may be passed.
 2. The doll of claim 1 wherein the main body is composed of a soft filler material encased by a soft, sturdy cloth material constructed of front and back portions, which are secured by a fastening means.
 3. The doll of claim 2 wherein the soft filler material is chosen from the group consisting of: beans, cotton fiberfill, polyester fiberfill or down.
 4. The doll of claim 2 wherein the cloth encasing material is chosen from the group consisting of: cotton, nylon, rayon, polyester, wool or felt.
 5. The doll of claim 2 wherein fastening is accomplished by stitching or gluing a single seam along the edge of the main doll form.
 6. The doll of claim 5 wherein 100% cotton or wool threads are used for stitching.
 7. The doll of claim 1 wherein the main body is devoid of traditional character identifying characteristics.
 8. The doll of claim 1 wherein stylized organs and skeletal parts are depicted on the main body.
 9. The doll of claim 8 wherein the stylized organs and skeletal parts are affixed by sewing, painting, gluing, silk-screening or embroidering means.
 10. The doll of claim I wherein the fitted covering is constructed of front and back portions cut in the same shape as the main body of the doll which are secured by fastening means.
 11. The doll of claim 10 wherein the fitted covering is cut in the same shape and about 3%-5% larger than the body of the main doll.
 12. The doll of claim 1 wherein the fitted covering material is chosen from the group consisting of: cotton, nylon, rayon, polyester, wool or felt.
 13. The doll of claim 10 wherein the fitted covering is fastened by stitching or gluing a single seam along the edge of the fitted covering form.
 14. The doll of claim 1 wherein distinct characters are painted, sewn, printed, silk-screened, ironed or embroidered onto the fitted coverings.
 15. The doll of claim 1 wherein the dorsal opening of the fitted covering is secured with a fastening means.
 16. The doll of claim 15 wherein the fastener means is selected from the group consisting of: buttons, hook and loops, zippers or snaps.
 17. The doll of claim 1 wherein the opening in the back portion of the fitted covering is a vertical open seam running the length of the fitted covering.
 18. The doll of claim 1 wherein the opening in the back portion of the fitted covering is a horizontal open seam running the width of the fitted covering.
 19. The doll of claim 1 wherein synthetic hair is attached to the fitted covering.
 20. The doll of claim 1 wherein one alternate character is an African boy.
 21. The doll of claim 1 wherein one alternate character is an Indian girl wearing a sari.
 22. The doll of claim 1 wherein one alternate character is a Jewish boy wearing a yarmulke.
 23. The doll of claim 1 wherein one alternate character is an Asian girl.
 24. The doll of claim 1 wherein one alternate character is an Irish girl with bright red hair.
 25. A method of transforming the main doll into a plurality of alternate character designs comprising the steps of, selecting a fitted covering depicting the desired character, opening the fasteners on the fitted covering, grasping the main body of the doll, passing the main body of the doll through the dorsal opening of the fitted covering, positioning the fitted covering to completely cover the main body of the doll and fastening the closures at the dorsal opening to completely conceal the main doll. 